Poetry_and_the_World_Consumerism

Module: Poetry and the world consumerism Task type: visual representation & speech Date due: term 3, week 3: Wednesday, 11, august 2010. By: Mona choker Good morning, Today I am going to discuss two characteristics of consumerism that Bruce Dawe utilises in his poetry, and explain how I have incorporated them into my advertisement. The advertisement being presented is a plain representation of consumerism due to its features that are represented. So what is consumerism' Consumerism deals with the lifestyle in which individuals purchase products more on what they desire rather on their personal needs due to being influenced by advertisements. The advertisement shown stimulates elder people's desires to purchase the product. I will start of by mentioning the caption on the poster. This caption is strategically placed in the middle of the poster and in turn, it draws the attention of those who walk besides it. The caption is written in black bold font which not only adds to the fact that it brings attention to the advertisement but it also empathises the message the caption it’s carrying (gentle on skin firm on wrinkles). The second aspect of the advertisement which grasps the attention of the target market is the use of colour. The colour red is proven scientifically to be the most colours that attracts attention. The use of colour has been also used in a strategic manner as red attracts people towards the products. The colour red on the poster contrast with the colour white. The contrasts of these colours further attract customers. The white colour is also used to represent purity which is associated with youth. Furthermore the product in the advertisement is very appealing because it’s central and large; it also has a shiny Goldie light coming from it with a white background, which makes me think its spiritual, goddess, rich, pure and top quality. Another characteristic of the advertisement which appeals to its customers is the acknowledgement that the product manufacturer is the world’s leader in anti-wrinkle creams. The large tilted number interests the customers and captures their attention which allow the customers to trust the product being sold, this can also been seen as an imperative due to its capital letters, moreover the statement “world number one on anti-wrinkle cream” appeals to customers because it is as if its screaming at the consumers to purchase the product due to being number one. This product is salient due to its structure, which brings attention through its colour and font. It is also persuasive which makes it a desire for the consumer. So how Bruce Dawe does utilises consumerism in his poetry and how does it link to my assignment' Well i am just about to explain this, the poems ‘enter without so much as knocking’ and ‘breakthrough’ is great examples to answer this question... Bruce Dawe focuses his ironic voice on the consumer culture; his aim is to highlight the lack of meaning in our society today. The title of the poem, enter without so much as knocking, emphasises the unimportance of an individual’s human life. To enter (the world) without so much as knocking, is indicative of an arrival that is so ordinary as to be worthless of notice. The poems enter without as so much knocking is about a baby experiencing consumerism thorough his stages of life. Furthermore the Latin epigraph beneath the title provides the central idea of the poem (that human beings are mortal); the Latin epigraph talks about how humans are made of dust and how humans will return to dust. This links with the first and last line of the poem. (Blink, blink hospital silence and Blink, blink. Cemetery, Silence. The phrase “blink, blink” is a technique of alliteration used in the poem. It is an ironic poem that critises society .which states that the modern society is false and superficial. In stanza 1 The name ‘bobby dazzler’ is a great example of this, also the use of advertising jargon to express society’s obsession with appearance, is given out by the media, for example in stanza 2 the mother is a ‘economy size mum; and the father is a Anthony squires, cool stream summer weight dad’ this quote uses personification and shows the lack of personal identity, as they are depersonalised as a product and described to the consumer society, it also shows how Bruce dawe introduces the theme of materialism. The structure of the poem is a cyclical structure because the poem starts and ends with ‘blink, blink. Hospital, Silence’ and blink, blink. Cemetery, Silence’ this also introduces the poem with the theme of mortality and the cyclical nature of life. Moreover in stanza 3 the technique, onomatopoeia is used, (beep, beep), this is the stage of the child experiencing the world through the eyes of a child in the car. The series of imperatives (WALK. DONT WALK. TURN/ LEFT NO PARKING. WAIT HERE. NO SMOKIMG) starts of realistically then becomes satirical: (NO/ BREATHING EXCEPT BY ORDER. BEWARE OF/ THIS. WATCH OUT FOR THAT.) These series of imperatives correspond with my advertisement due to that fact that there is an imperative statement embedded in my advertisement which is “world number one on anti-wrinkle cream”. The success of the product is highlighted through the use of numerical and its capitals. This gives the impression that the product is directly addressing, perhaps even commanding the customer to purchase the product. Last but not least the poem uses imagery to emphasise on consumerism. For example: human life as a game show, family is advertised as a product, stars are like kids at the circus and the cemetery as an underground city. The poem breakthrough expresses the unlimited margins that advertising can breach when targeting a consumer. It uses religious suggestions along with black humour to criticise the modern society, in support of it, it seems to abide to advertisement to such an extent as if it was a religion, which utilizes the theme of mortality and spirituality. The poem as well, explores how advertising manipulates people’s mentalities. In The first stanza of the poem it talks about how a little girl has died, and is not comforted by a religious representative or her family but is comforted by an advertising song, this first stanza uses a parody. Moreover in the second stanza, an advertisement director begins the poem demanding, ‘full volume up on the celestial choir,’ the explanation mark stresses on parody and makes it over-exciting. The second stanza adopts a more commentator-like narration; originally the death is described sympathetically and poetically. The use of little and frail within the stanza is the technique of rhyme. It creates horror as does the crumpled paper cup smile which emphasises the girl’s vulnerability. The second stanza describes a scene where a director is shooting an add. This image is then contrasted by the death of a young girl in the last stanza. A ludicrous image of ‘angels backed by guitars... earths loss is heavens gain." this quote shows imagery. And reveals to the responders of the poem, the extent of which advertising destroys the reality by attempting to break through every corner of the world, overall the poem uses satirical criticisms of the commercialisation of life by media. The advertisement portrayed has manipulated people into worshipping products and purchasing desires and not needs. This links with my advertisement because the quote stated before, uses spiritual goddess imagery, given that angels are typically pictured to be white (pure) with a golden shine surrounding them, therefore it is relating to my product L’Oreal, since that it is surrounded by the colour white with a gold shine coming out of it which also symbolises purity. In addition the product L’Oreal can as well been seen as a desire and not a need because the product itself does not work on everyone’s skin, which makes it a desire for most consumers. The poem breakthrough uses many techniques, it uses explanation marks which emphasises the sentence e.g. ye angelic host! , it uses hyphens to resemble advertisement language, example: (sales-appeal), and it uses similes to make the poem more affective, example ‘the frail heart crumples like a paper cup, Thank you for listening to my speech, I know hope you understand the concept of consumerism, the role of advertisement and last but not least, I hope you understand how Dawe utilises consumerism in his poems.